As usual, the members of Mora Hiking club gathered in front of the University main gate at about 3:30 a.m. and took off to Hawagala on the bus we had hired. We reached Balangoda, had the breakfast there and headed to the University of Sabaragamuwa to collect our lunch packets. Then we came back towards Balangoda and took the road towards Udagalagama to reach the mountain. It was about 10 O'clock when we reached Udagalagama as we had to wait until the breakfast was prepared and wait some time to collect the lunch packets as well.

We had to leave the bus near Udagalagama co-operative and started trekking on the road under a little shower of rain. After trekking about three kilometers along the tar treated road, we took a left turn to a concrete road as directed by villagers who were...

Hawagala ; as seen from a point on the road while we were approaching the ridge from a flank side.

As usual, the members of Mora Hiking club gathered in front of the University main gate at about 3:30 a.m. and took off to Hawagala on the bus we had hired. We reached Balangoda, had the breakfast there and headed to the University of Sabaragamuwa to collect our lunch packets. Then we came back towards Balangoda and took the road towards Udagalagama to reach the mountain. It was about 10 O'clock when we reached Udagalagama as we had to wait until the breakfast was prepared and wait some time to collect the lunch packets as well.

Udagalagama co-operative shop; The place where we left the bus and took the road on foot. (photo is from google street view)

We had to leave the bus near Udagalagama co-operative and started trekking on the road under a little shower of rain. After trekking about three kilometers along the tar treated road, we took a left turn to a concrete road as directed by villagers who were very friendly. The concrete road had a dead end and then on, there was a foot path along the edges of the paddy fields with two concrete 'A-dandu' over small waterways. Then, the foot path went along the tea plots and at a point, it turned towards the wilderness.

A creative notice...

The beginning of the concrete road ; it is a left turn when coming from Udagalagama. Neglect the angle of the click. (photo is from Google street view)

End of the tea cultivations... (photo credit goes to Nilanka Chathura.)

Then on, the trail went through several types of vegetation (Thick forests, short grass lands; mainly Kalanduru, isolated Pines and small shrubs and bushes) towards the peak. At some areas, the trail was not so clear and made us to go straight towards the direction of the peak off the trails via short grasslands until we catch a glimpse of the trails again.

Short grass areas with distorted pine trees.

Halfway to the peak, we encountered another group of hikers (there were about 150 people) whom were a batch of undergraduates of a private educational institute. We took the lead overtaking them and reached the peak in about two and a half hours since we left our bus. At the peak, eight members of our club who were camping there for two days joined us. Along the way, it rained several times. But we were lucky enough it to be sunny by the time we reached the peak.

The orange dotted line show the roads we went on, red ones are for the route we ascended and the purple dotted line is for the descend. Other than them, the summit, the waterfall and the place where we left the bus are also shown in the map. (Map is from google earth.)

Hawagala summit as seen from half way along the trail which is now in parallel to the ridge

Approaching the summit.....

While we were on the peak, we got the news that one of the members of the other group of hikers from the private uni have been attacked by wasps. So we gave some piriton, which was the simplest first aid possible at the time.

A comb of wasps...

Some of the people from the other group of hikers..

Then we had our lunch at the top and rested there for some time, appreciating the glamorous view around us. From the top of Hawagala, which is a relatively flat peak, a person can clearly observe the southern end of the central highlands, Nonperial states, World's end, Aadara kanda, Pareiyangala, Haputhale range and Bandarawela south side, Samanala wewa, Udawalawe area, Balangoda area and Dethanagala. And I think that even the coastal line off the Hambanthota area would be visible in a clear day.

Belihul oya basin coming down the southern edge of the central highlands, Pareiyangala, Aadara kanda and the Udagalgama village as seen from the peak.

Enjoying the glamorous view...

And some landscape photography too.

Terrace paddy fields in the Belihul oya basin

A rainbow popped up just before we leave... You may see the play ground of the University of Sabaragamuwa towards the left edge of the photo.

Then we took the group photo. By that time the other group of hikers had started descending via another route as they had brought a guide with them. Considering the consequence of fevered wasps by the large group of people, we also took the other route to descend. But as they were no hikers, their descend was to slow to tolerate. So we overtook them and made our own way towards the village.

MORA HIKERS....

On the way, we took a long rest until all our members are gathered as some of our members were stuck behind the other hikers, unable of overtaking. After all the members were gathered together, we took off again and we encountered a set of other hikers who have been left behind with no clue of the guide they brought. So we let them follow us and descended rapidly towards the Belihul oya basin. On the way, we encountered a tea plot and then the rest was easy as it was just to follow a foot path.

Following it, we came to a beautiful waterfall and it had several natural stone pools on top of it, which were deep just about six feet. So the members took a bath there in the shivery cool water and refreshed ourselves. Then we left that glamorous place and took the way to the bus along the foot paths, then a concrete road, the tar treated road and finally to the bus.